Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a syndrome caused by a virus called HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus).
Acquired means that people get the disease from others who already have it.
Immune or Immuno- talks about the immune system. The immune system is the part of the body that fights infectious disease.
Deficiency means not enough. An immuno-deficiency is a problem where the immune system is damaged and cannot fight disease well.
Syndrome is a disease that makes many different problems in the body.
AIDS is one of the worst pandemics the world has ever known. HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, was first discovered in 1981 in a remote area of central Africa. It has since swept across the globe, infecting millions in a relatively short period of time. AIDS has killed more than 28 million people that we know of, with up to 3.6 million people dying in 2005 alone. While many cases go unreported, the prevalence of the disease is increasing. By comparison:
A meteoroid is a sand to boulder sized particle of debris in the Solar System. The visible path of a meteoroid that enters Earth’s atmosphere is called a meteor. If a meteor reaches the ground and survives impact, then it is called a meteorite.
This is CCTV footage of a meteor spotted over the skies of South Africa on the 21st of November 2009. It’s pretty cool:
Well, hammerhead sharks have had their first eye examination, and it has found that sharks with wider heads have better binocular vision; using two eyes at once, like humans. Binocular vision is better to track fast-moving prey like squid with far more accuracy than sharks with close-set eyes. It means they can see directly ahead while swimming and can accurately judge distance, particularly to any prey they hunt.
Basically, it makes them better hunters and killers! Read more here or here.
Living like a pig could be good for you. Research has shown how dirty piglets obtain ‘friendly’ bacteria that help them to develop healthy immune systems later in life. The dirtier the pigs are when young, the healthier they are as they grow old!
The results of the study also indicate that manipulating gut bacteria early in life might reduce allergies and other autoimmune diseases. Read more here.
New research has discovered that plants are social creatures.
A common flowering plant, Impatiens pallida, devotes less energy than usual to growing roots when surrounded by relatives. In other words it tries not to take too many resources away from its family.
But, in the presence of genetically unrelated plants, Impatiens pallida grow their roots as fast as they can. Basically trying, in a very shrub like way, to fight with the unrelated plant. Read more here.
Elite athletes distinguish themselves from others through hard work, and, most importantly, raw talent. However new research suggests that the most accomplished athletes also share another common feature – a handsome face.
Basically, it seems the more attractive an athlete is, the more likely it is that they will be one of the better athletes in their chosen sport. Read more here.
So this guy played basketball for his country in the 2008 Beijing Olympics:
And while he is OK looking, I bet his brother is way more attractive.
The Olympus BioScapes Digital Imaging Competition is a dynamic international photo competition that honors the world’s most extraordinary microscope images of life science subjects. For example check out this photo of the Cancer cell alphabet, which only got an honourable mention:
It is a mammal and a carnivore. It has an average lifespan of 12 to 15 years in the wild. It measures 3 to 3.5 m (10 to 11.5 ft) in length and it weighs up to 380 kg (840 lbs).
They are the most formidable hunters of all the seals and the only ones that feed on warm-blooded prey, such as other seals. Leopard seals use their powerful jaws and long teeth to kill smaller seals, fish, and squid.
These effective predators live in frigid Antarctic and sub-Antarctic waters, where they also eat penguins. They often wait underwater near an ice shelf and snare the birds just as they enter the water after jumping off the ice. They may also come up beneath seabirds resting on the water surface and snatch them in their jaws.
If I encountered a leopard seal in real life I would be very, very scared. This guy apparently wasn’t:
It can be extremely difficult to change a persons behaviour. Psychologists study behaviour change, and some people believe that the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better is by making it fun to do. Like this:
